What do photographers think about social media? How did it help or challenge them to showcase their skills and work? The Game magazine has asked questions from many photographers about what they think about social media and if it helped them to emerge their work.
Emerge through Social Media: A Look into the World of Photography
As the art of photography continues to evolve, so does its relationship with social media. The emergence of digital platforms has allowed photographers from all corners of the world to share their work with a global audience, unleashing a new era of creativity and discovery.
In a world where social media has become an indispensable part of our lives, photographers are leveraging its power to showcase their talents and build a following like never before. From the bustling streets of Tehran to the serene landscapes of Iceland, social media is connecting photographers with new fans and giving them a platform to express themselves in ways that were once unimaginable.
But what do photographers think of social media? Do they find it useful or not? In this series of interviews, we dive deeper into the relationship between photography and social media in their own words.
Michael Marquand
”I kind of hate it.”
Instagram, effective tool or phase? What is your take on it as a professional?
Ugh, I kind of hate it. Mostly because I don’t want to be constantly posting, and I don’t like the idea of someone’s first impression of my work being whatever I posted most recently vs a portfolio that is much more curated. At one point, I was trying to get into it more because it’s what every photographer is doing, but it never got me any work. I don’t think I’ve posted anything in over a year. However, I do know photographers who benefit from it. I think you have to be the type of person that wants to be on social media all the time for it to be an effective tool.
What does social media mean for your photography, and does it have an influence on your work?
Nandan Nabodit Biswal
“Social media has little to no effect on my work.”
”Social media has little to no effect on my work. My audience mostly likes my work because it is unconventional, and not a lot of people play with photographs on that level, unless they are influenced by organizations or magazines. Human nature is such that they won’t delve into matters that don’t entertain them, hence proving my work unconventional. As Charles Bukowski said, not being able to create art, they will not understand art.”
Mohammad Hunain
”Social media is the ultimate place to showcase my work to the world.”
”To me, social media is the ultimate place to showcase my work to the world. It could be argued that a person in this era without the internet would be missing out on a lot of things.”
Em Schuster
“Although social media has downsides, I thoroughly enjoy showcasing my work online. ”
” Social media is a great tool for photography. I mainly present my work through my Instagram. I also get a lot of inspiration from other artists through platforms, including Instagram and Pinterest. Although social media has downsides, I thoroughly enjoy showcasing my work online so people I haven’t met before can view it.”
Sherie Pearl
“I highly depend on Instagram to showcase my portfolio and reach a number of audiences.“
Most photographers nowadays use social media platforms to promote their work. I do the same. I highly depend on Instagram to showcase my portfolio and reach a number of audiences. More than that, it’s through social media that I am able to gain support and feedback from people online that I may or may not know. I think it helps me grow as a photographer to receive constructive criticism or appreciation for the work that I share.
Keziah Jade Nualla
” Social media is an extremely effective method for gaining influence. Social media is used by thousands of creative people, and have a big impact on my creativity. I use social media to both share my photographs and find inspiration from other creative individuals. ”
Rekha Damodaran
“It took me a lot of ‘soul–searching’ and understanding to know creativity is a learned skill, and talent can be learned.”
Social media has helped me show my photographs and tell stories. I was always able to follow amazing people and make friends who also have similar interests and views. However, it also gave me raging imposter syndrome and questioned my skills and talent. It took me a lot of ‘soul–searching’ and understanding to know creativity is a learned skill, and talent can be learned.
David Aaron
“Social media has made me understand what people want.”
What does social media mean for your photography, and does it have an influence on your work?
Social media has been the major course of how my work has reached some certain height because of how connected everyone is. Social media has made me understand what people want and what they like to see. This has influenced my style of photography a lot.
Abhishek Howlader
“Although I am not very active on social media, but surely social media has a significant role in the photography industry.”
Although I am not very active on social media, but surely social media has a significant role in the photography industry as a medium to connect with like minded people. Share your art and creativity. But, one has to be really careful in how one operate in that sphere. It’s not all about gaining followers and attention. It’s just a small aspect of this. I should be used to gaining knowledge and learning. One’s creativity should not get completely influenced by Social media, like taking pictures just to gain followers. I feel this kills the inner creativity of a person.
Lilli Nass
“I dislike the way social media has become commercialised and often less about the picture itself.”
I mainly see social media as a way to connect with other people from the creative field. I dislike the way social media has become commercialised and often less about the picture itself. But being able to discover so much work of other Photographer’s is great.
